Before I began to study Turmeric the image that always popped into my head about the herb is yellow curry. Turmeric is the rooted herb, cousin to garlic, that gives curry its yellow and reddish color. But as i began to read about the product, I was amazed with its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. As a brain guy I was also encouraged by the studies which found that Turmeric and Curcumin greatly influence your cognitive behavior.
So I continued to study.. Here are a few things that I found.
First let me begin with a topic that is near and dear to me. Inflammation. This natural process for fighting off disease is quickly becoming the root cause of most disease processes that kill Americans every year.
See... Inflammation occurs when you cut yourself or if you get some gnarly bacteria in your body. This kind is good. The body rushes white blood cells and all the natural ingredients for healing to the site and shit is handled. BUT... Chronic Inflammation from inflamed gut lining, swollen organs and damaged blood vessels.. the problems caused by a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle; well this type of inflammation kills quickly and is generically labeled as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, Coronary Artery Disease... the list goes on and on.
Turemeric and its active ingredient Curcumin are one of most powerful anti-inflammatories in nature. While the Curcumin level of whole Turmeric is rather low; as a supplement, the Curcumin is isolated and the levels are highly elevated. This means that instead of eating and snorting Turmeric with each meal, you can find a good supplement capsule and get the desired effect.
Next, I will expound upon the brain enhancing properties of this herb. Remember Human Growth Hormone? The stuff that every pro baseball player seemed to be taking a few years ago. Remember the effects it had on the body? Well.... Turmeric and Curcumin are Brain Growth Hormone! No, I'm not kidding.
This powerful herb has been shown to activate Brain Derived Neuro-tropic Factor (BDNF) which drives our cognitive function within the Hippocampus. For a while now, brain scientists have seen that brain and neurological diseases have been linked to low levels of the BDNF; Alzheimers and Dementia being two big ones. Interestingly, Curcumin and Turmeric supplementation have been shown to increase neuronal development and actually make you smarter. Crazy right.
Finally. There are certain things that can enhance the effects of the herb like, taking it with black pepper, and eating Turmeric with a high fat meal to increase absorption. But focus first on getting more of this goodness all up in ya!!
New Chapter Supplements, like this sold in Kukui'ula Market is a very high quality herb supplement. By keeping the herb free of chemicals and pesticides you are ensured that it is not only 'non-GMO' but also processed in a very 'organic' way. So at your leisure, check out Turmeric as a supplement and begin to find recipes to cook it with.
Let nature fight the fight for you. Add Turmeric to your diet and let the healing begin!
Baseline:
Banded Low Back Mobility and Hip Activation Drills
Running Prep:
Heel/Toe Walk
Groiners W/ Squat
High Knee Pull
Quad Pull
Pigeon Pulling Drill
Samson Lunge
Marching High Kicks
High Knees
Butt Kickers
Carioca
Arm Swing
Sideways Jumping Jack
Running Prep :
Week 2
Falling Starts; 40m , 100m, 200m
*rest is walk back to start Line
3X
200m Jog
200m Run at 75%
200m Sprint
*focus on Change of direction and rest will be :90 in between each set. There is NO rest in between segments.
WOD:
For Time
10-8-6-4-2
Man Makers 45/30
Box Jump 30/24
